Part XVII: Interlude 2
Cassie stomped around the dungeons for a while, fuming. She had destroyed quite a few things in the commons –which the room of requirement had gladly offered- before moving on to the dorms. There her personal house elf popped in holding a trunk full of Ogden's finest. She pulled a bottle from her stash and took a nice long pull. She looked around the room, surveying the damage, but not caring enough to do anything about it just yet. She drank until she had downed nearly half the bottle, before tossing it aside.
She flopped onto her bed as she played the incident over and over, agonizing she knew that he had every right to be angry with her, but what bugged her was the issue of him caring as much as he let on. She knew he'd understand her loyalty to Draco and that it was bound to happen. So, why did it seemed like he felt betrayed that she'd take the mark? She mulled everything over, giving weight to every passing thought. Even when it was clear to her that she should find him and apologise.
Her pride stopped her. She disliked being wrong. Pushing her pride aside, Cassie repressed and tidied herself up and headed for the one place she knew he would find refuge. The Quidditch Pitch.
She was not one for heights, but she felt the need to explain herself. Even if it meant putting herself in an uncomfortable and vulnerable situation. Summoning Lyra's broom she mounted it and kicked off the ground. Praying to all the deities above, she looked around for Adrian, for her safety. She spotted him hovering next to the far end of the pitch by the highest goalpost.
The wizard in question refused to turn around the moment he heard the witch shouting for him. Hadn't he made it clear that he didn't want to be disturbed? Shaking his head he kept his place as she floated closer and closer. He knew, thanks to Draco, that Cassie didn't like flying much. This knowledge didn't help his resolve to ignore her.
Softly uttering his name as she entered his personal space, she came face to face withal decidedly calm looking Slytherin. This startled her, she had expected anger. Raising her hands in surrender, she began speaking calmly. ''Adrian. Just give give me a chance to explain...'' she said before swallowing her pride. ''... And to apologise.''
The wizard gave no indication of weather he would allow her to continue, but gestured for them to fly down to the Slytherin stands for this discussion. The witch refused, trying to prove a point which she herself hadn't really grasped as of yet.
The couple in the air made no move to speak. The tension thick in the air, Cassie broke he eerie silence with a heavy sigh and began to explain. ''Ade..'' she began with her nickname for him, ''It was really a last minute thing...'' she trailed off as he merely stared at her pushing her silently for more information, she abided by his request.
The wind howled and whipped Cassie's hair about, carrying Adrian's almost unheard question. ''Why did you not tell me?'' a barely there whisper, a tone she had never heard him use. Ever. To anyone.
Meanwhile inside the castle, against her best thoughts, Lyra went in search for Blaise. Who, up until the current moment, was stealthily ignoring her attempts for a chat. Giving up on the foot search she conjured her patronus to find the Italian boy. "Blaise, why are you constantly evading and avoiding me? Let me explain." The cat opened its mouth as if to meow in accordance with what she said "Find him and tell him."
Ten minutes later, in the privacy of her dorm room a large stallion trotted into her room and stood by her bed proudly. His voice resounded through the room, "No. Just leave me alone. Don't bother finding me, and don't send a reply back. Just. Stop."
Blaise sat in the library in his usual dark corner, homework pushed aside and fingers massaging his temples. He could never focus on work when he and someone close to him had a fight. He deemed his pile of parchments useless as his mind flitted back over to why he had walked away. She didn't trust him, it was plain and simple. So simple yet one of the hardest things he had done.
He heard the unmistakable sound of the library door opening. Not many people decided to come in to the library this late. He wondered who it was.
She crept into the library, attempting to make as little noise as possible. Creak! ''Blast!'' She cursed under her breath. ''So much for being sly.''
Blaise heard someone curse and realised Lyra had ignored his request to be left alone. What he hadn't counted on was her stubborn and foolhardy nature. He sighed and decided to give her his full attention. But by that time she was well into her explanation.
''... You see, Uncle Lucius and daddy barely allowed us the time or the liberty to tell anyone else...'' she trailed off as he barely listened, still quite miffed with the witch who sat before him. His large hand was slowly curling into a fist, a fist that a few seconds later hit the desk in absolute anger as he threw up a silent and wandless silencing spell.
''You, should have took me aside...'' he said still trying to rein in his anger before he let loose. ''AND BLOODY WELL TOLD ME!''
''Why do you even care?'' Both girls had screamed simultaneously, unbeknownst to each other.
The events following that unified exclamation can be described as dramatic.
Realising her mistake a little too late, Lyra began mapping out quick exit strategies in her head.Self-preservation, she told herself. I am too young to die. Blaise advanced on her with a fierce looking expression and predatory gait. She gulped audibly.
Blaise smirked part in victory as he advanced the witch who was soon backed up against the bookshelf. Grabbing her neck and running his hand down her collar bone to end at the bottom of her chin, he delighted in the shudder that went through her. Lifting her chin up he forced her to look into his eyes. "That should be answer enough, Lyra." She whispered. "Tell. Me. Next. Time."
Meanwhile above the Quidditch pitch, due to her dramatic hand waving, Cassie had lost her grip and the broom she was precariously perched on decided to gain mind of its own and hurtled to the ground.
In a swirl of green, black and brown, Adrian followed the witch who was paralysed from fear. Reaching out his hand 10 meters above the ground, he pulled her onto the front of his broom wrapping his arms around her waist. Landing softly on the ground, Cassie prompt fell to the ground, her legs unable to hold her up anymore.
''Never do that again.'' Adrian warned sternly, trying to slow his rapid heartbeat. He wasn't entirely sure if that was a warning for flailing arms or lying by omission. He gathered her in his arms and caught all her tears with his thumbs. He smiled at her and dropped a kiss on her head.
The weeks leading up to Valentine's Day were hectic. Flowers, presents and what not surrounded every girl. Each corner you turn there was always a girl crying of happiness or jumping on her boyfriend screaming thankyou's.
"Now, there will be a Hogsmeade weekend on Valentine's Day. Two days away, make sure your notes are signed before you are able to exit to Hogsmeade." McGonagall's magically enhanced voice rang through the Great Hall, silencing what was left of the chattering.
Meanwhile an owl fluttered up to Gryffindor tower, landing on the window sil that happened to be an entrant to the 6th year boys' dormitories. Sqwaking, the owl plopped down on Harry Potter's bed shaking of the shockingly pink and completely garish heart shaped box before flying off again.
The day passed with little dramas. Hermione had chosen to drop a line and spend some time with Ron, who had somehow detached himself from Lavender's lips. They were walking down the hallway when they spotted Harry with his arms around Ginny. Ron's face screwed up in disgust as Hermione subtly bade her exit as the red-headed boy nodded.
Moonlight shone in from on the the three windows of the boy's dormitories, casting a dim and slightly haunting light in the room. Ron, who sat by the window separating Harry's and his bed stared out at the moon in a wondrous haze. On his bed lay the half eaten box of potion-tainted chocolates.
If one were to ask Ronald Weasley what had happened that night, he would merely say that he had eaten a bunch of chocolates, found himself lying on the ground of Horace Slughorn's office and finally had some recollection of being levitated to the Hospital Wing. Little did he know he had come close to death that very night.
The next morning found the Hospital Wing somewhat crowded. Mineral McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape and Horace Slughorn found themselves standing by the foot of the bed that housed the aforementioned Weasley. They were quickly followed by a worried Hermione who had received a cold reception from the Boy-Who-Lived. She ignored him and placed herself by his bedside, grabbing hold of his hand. She'd have a word with him later.
Minutes later a worried Lavender Brown scampered into the room and stopped as she spotted Hermione. ''What are you doing here?'' she had asked indignantly.
Hermione, in turn, stood up and replied, ''I'd like to ask you the same question.''
The ensuing battle of dignity, ownership and friendship of one Ronald Weasley ended in Hermione graciously allowing Lavender to take her place by the wizard's bedside.
''Oh, to be young.'' Dumbledore mused out loud. ''Come away everybody, Mr Weasley's well-tended for.''
Both staff and students alike left Lavender by Ron's bedside in peace. Yet, the peace would not last much longer than the journey to exit of the ward.
A hard yank to Hermione's right and she found herself in yet another abandoned classroom. ''What were you thinking?'' asked a furious Harry Potter. ''You hardly speak to us and now you show up?''
Hermione yanked herself out of the bespectacled boy's grasp as she felt her anger take over her whole body as well as her magic. T air around her began to swirl and whip around the room. "How dare you." She said in a low menacing voice, which led to Harry holding his hands in a sort of surrender position. "How dare you think I wouldn't talk to you. In case you were wondering, I was going to talk to you the other day, but I just happened to stumble upon yourself and Ginny snogging- taking part in tonsil tennis, if you will- and excused myself from Ron's side."
Harry's eyes, which were widened almost comically, tried to form words but could only manage a few squeaks, unmanly squeaks at that. Just when he thought she could go on no more she began once more.
"Moreover, if you berate me about who I choose to be friends with again, you will find yourself in a rather uncomfortable position." She groused threateningly as she poked her wand into Harry's side just as a sour looking Professor Snape interrupted their meeting of sorts.
"I see someone's teaching you a lesson Mr. Potter." The Potions Master drawled smirking. "Continue on Ms. Granger, as much I would find joy in excessive damage, we need this poor excuse of a wizard to do his 'job'." He sniped as he swept out of the classroom, robes billowing behind him. He left both students in shock, although Hermione seemed to be the one who recovered first.
Harry cowered; he had never seen Hermione in such a vicious mood. He raised a finger as if to ask permission to speak or to dispute a point. "Hermione." He said trying to rid himself of the quaver in his voice. "Malfoy's been acting strange lately. Not to mention that other quiet Slytherin, Nott."
Anger, rage and shock dissolved into pain and a traumatised expression flitting over her usually calm features. "Harry, I'm not even going to start on Draco. It's not my story to tell." She held in a stray tear at the memory of seeing the prone blonde boy lying on the hospital wing bed. "If you're trying to fish for information on Nott, you'll have to try and befriend one of the Slytherin's because I have not a thought spared for Nott and his comings and goings. "
She swept out of the room reminiscent of the Potions Master and went to hide in her favourite corner in the library. She'd have to get Draco and Harry to talk to each other in civil tones. Somehow.
A/N: This fic was planned out to be 26 Chapters. However Some chapters have not reached the length first anticipated, therefore the number of chapters will now fluctuate between 23 and 25.
I also apologise for the long wait for what may seem such an inconsequential chapter, but I promise it will all be worth it in the end. I'm hoping to get this finished by the 7th of January or the 14th at the latest.
-Vyncie
PS. I'd also like to mention that some of this was generously written my my lovely best friend and sister, Raylee.